


Counsel

by BelowTheWind



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: And titles, F/M, Fluff, god this could end up being so ooc in one week, gomen, im really bad at tags, please forgive me i still am new to these tags, pre-release, reader could also be a student, reader could be byleth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-08 23:10:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19877626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelowTheWind/pseuds/BelowTheWind
Summary: Honestly, you probably should have known better than to ask for love advice from a cat.





	Counsel

**Author's Note:**

> is it july 26th yet

The date of graduation creeps upon you and the Golden Deer faster than any of you can blink. After so many months of classes, of training together, of the bonds you forged with one another, the end was coming on far too quickly. 

In all honesty, you might not have had quite so much an issue with the coming end to your school days, if not for the fact that you still weren’t quite sure on your own feelings for the leader of the very house you worked with. 

Claude von Riegan had been a mystery to you from day one. From his bright, cheery smiles that didn’t always reach his eyes, to the clear mistrust you saw him feeling towards you at the very beginning. He’d always been a bit of an enigma, and now was no different. Sure, things had progressed past the initial lack of trust - Claude had even gone so far as to apologize to you for it. It had surprised you, honestly. What on earth did he have to apologize for? 

Still, you’d accepted his apology, and the soft smile that curled his lips - that reached those beautiful, sparkling green eyes - had been enough to have your heart leaping momentarily in to your throat. 

Oh. 

_Oh._

Things had been easier, after that. A little more calm, and the way in which he had interacted with you became easier, too. 

For him, perhaps. 

It was all casual touches, now. An arm slung around your shoulder, a hand squeezing your waist during practice, pushing a lock of hair from your face after training - and gods, who could forget the way he’d grip your hand? Lacing your fingers with that cheeky grin, leading you to whatever interesting place had captured his attention at the time. 

While these seemed to come as natural to him as breathing, they left you floundering. Your heart lurched, breath hitching, cheeks blooming with heat, tinging up, sometimes, to the very tips of your ears. 

If Claude noticed, he never said a damn thing. 

Which left you, now, in your current predicament. Sitting on the windowsill in one of the towers, feet lazily swinging back and forth. There’s a sheer drop below you, straight down to the ground, and yet, you’re not all that worried. Fingers dig in to the thick ledge beneath your palms, watching the twinkling of the stars in the night sky. 

Huh. The sparkle kind of reminds you of that mischievous one that sometimes glimmers to life in Claude’s eyes. Embarrassed at yourself, you shake your head, nails biting a little harder in to the brick and mortar beneath you. Beside you, one of the cats that lives around the Monastery is perched on the sill as well, purring softly and looking up at you with slow blinking green eyes. 

Great. 

Even the cats are reminding you of him, now. 

It mewls beside you, standing up with a slow arch of his back and taking a few slow, padding steps towards you, pushing his head in a soft rub against your forearm. It’s impossible not to smile, lifting your hand to gently scratch your fingers atop his head, watching as eyes slip shut and the purring comes to a crescendo, loud and rumbling deep from underneath all that soft fluff. 

Entirely engrossed in the cat, and the way he pushes his head in to your hands, guiding your scratching down a furry neck, you fail to notice green eyes peering up at you curiously from a window behind you, nor the slight creak as it swings open. 

“Cats are supposed to be smart, right?” You finally speak to the feline beside you, who opens brilliant green eyes at the sound of your voice, offering a soft meow in response. A good enough answer, you think. “Tell me, then. How does one tell the future leader of the Leicester Alliance that she’s in love with him?” 

The cat’s eyes flicker up to your face, then down to look just past you, and you almost think, for a moment, that he's raising a brow. He must have seen a bug, you muse, scratching idly at the furry head proffered to you once again. “You’re supposed to be helping me, Sir Cat.” You tease. “Not looking for food.” 

It’s when a voice speaks from the building next to you, that you realize he was not, in fact, looking for food. 

“I didn’t realize I look good enough to eat.” 

Oh shit. 

In the same cheeky tone, the voice continues; “I didn’t realize you’d stoop to seeking counsel from a cat. I think, personally, the easiest thing to do would be to just turn around and talk to me, hmm?” 

You whip your head around, spotting a very much grinning Claude leaning out the window, his folded arms resting on the sill and watching you with a raised brow. Words don’t come to you. Instead, you squeak in shock, scrambling backwards and falling from the windowsill, landing on the floor inside the tower with a thump. 

Claude laughs at you - loud and clear, ringing like the pleasant chime of bells in the still night air. You give an embarrassed groan, carefully easing your feet down off the sill and easing back to a standing position, staying….far away from the window. 

For a moment, you simply watch the cat, who, in turn, fixes you with intelligent green eyes. 

_“Shit.”_

You curse, not wanting to be caught up here when Claude inevitably comes to find you. You know the boy, and you know he’s not going to just let something like this go. Not only is it in his nature to get to the bottom of everything, but if he can tease the heck out of someone in the process? Even better. 

Footsteps hardly even make a sound on the stairs, you’re running down them so swiftly - toes bouncing off each wooden step with quick, light and sure steps. There’s a soft pattering behind you, and you look back to see the cat bounding down along behind you. Hitting the bottom, you pull open the door, looking back at the cat to usher him out, only to turn and run right in to a firm chest when you go to follow. 

Arms catch you around the middle, and when you look up, it’s first at a bright, crooked smile, and then piercing emerald eyes. “Where are you running off to in such a hurry?” Claude teases, and you wrest yourself from his arms, missing the slight pang of disappointment that scrawls briefly across his features. 

“I-” You look around fervently, pleased when the cat comes back to you, possibly wondering what the holdup is. You scoop him in to your arms, attempting to weasel past the house leader. “Need to bathe my cat.”

“At midnight?”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t look like it wants to be bathed.”

“He's very finicky, it’ll be fine once he’s in the bath.”

“Mhmm.” Claude lifts a single brow, one corner of his terribly soft looking lips curling in to an amused smirk. “And it has nothing to do with you asking him how to tell, mmm….a certain house leader that you’re in love with him?”

“I never said it was me!” 

He laughs, and the cat finally wriggles from your arms, jumping to the floor and bounding between Claude’s legs, back out the door. 

“Bastard.” 

“Me, or the cat?” He grins, and you scowl, looking away with heat prickling at your cheeks. You’re embarrassed, a little scared of what he’s going to say, and honestly just want to get back to your room so you can bury your face in your pillow and pretend that this night never happened. 

It’s quiet for a few moments after that, until Claude takes a step towards you. Reflexively, you take one back - only to have him follow you again, and suddenly, your hand is on the banister of the wooden stairs, slowly climbing up with him continuing after you, steps creaking beneath your steady advance.

“Do you always come to cats for advice?” He teases. 

“I try not to make it a habit.”

“Mm. Smart. I can’t imagine that they’re very good conversationalists.”

“I like to think they try their best.” 

“Oh, certainly.” You’re about halfway up the tower again, now. “But certainly, human company is preferable? Like...my company, perhaps?” 

You stumble a little, and he shoots a hand out to grasp your waist, steadying you - with another hurried step back, you’re pulling away, and the dance begins again. 

“I dunno, you like to tease me.” 

“You make such adorable faces when I do.” 

“It’s rude.”

“Cute.” He corrects, and you clear your throat awkwardly. His lips twitch in to a smirk again, and you watch as his eyelids flicker closed ever so slightly. Your breath stutters, as does your step - you’ve reached the top of the tower, foot skating back against rock as you come to level flooring again. 

“I hardly think so.” 

He continues to follow you back, and for a moment, your heart lurches in to your throat as you feel yourself falling backwards - you’ve ran right in to the sill, your weight sending you backwards off your feet. 

Claude grasps your hand, tugging you forward in to his body as a hand grasps your waist again, pinning you between himself and the drop below. The hand in yours glides to your waist as well, sliding around to catch you at the small of your back, anchoring you firmly to his body. 

From here, the moonlight shines through the chiseled opening behind you, lighting his eyes up brighter than you think you’ve ever seen them. 

“You could just come to me for counsel, you know.” He leans in, and over the pounding of your heart, you’re able to hear your thoughts, frantic at the feeling of his breath on your lips. “Especially if they’re matters involving me.” 

Sucking in a breath, you watch as he leans down further, and suddenly his nose brushes yours, a sharp tingle racing down the length of your spine. He notices your little shiver, lips twitching again. “As I was saying, dear ____.” Claude flicks his tongue across his lips. “You could just talk to me.” 

“I- I…” 

“Cat got your tongue?” He teases, and you roll your eyes in response. Claude laughs again, low and deep in his chest - you feel it rumble pleasantly from where it’s pressed to yours, and….there’s something rather nice, you think, about being able to physically feel his voice against you. 

For a moment longer, the two of you stand there like that, his forehead coming to rest upon yours, fingers twisting in the fabric of the shirt at your lower back, like he’s almost afraid to let you go. Steadily, you relax in his arms, feeling almost at home where you are. When he’s satisfied that you don’t look ready to bolt any minute, he brushes his nose against yours again. “Can I kiss you?” 

The question catches you off guard - and catches your breath, as well. Words don’t come, they simply can’t. However, actions do. 

Your hands lift from his shoulders, grasping carefully at a sharp jaw, fingers gentle as they slowly explore. Running along his neck, back up, up, and over the swell of his lips. Huh. You were right. They were as soft as they looked. 

He lifts one hand from your waist, holding on to your wrist so he can kiss your fingers, green eyes hooded as they peer at you through a set of thick lashes - and then he’s setting your hand back to his shoulder, leaning in, his lips parted and- oh. 

Oh. That’s nice. 

Claude is warm, his lips even more so, despite the chill of the late night air. It starts off slow, sweet, almost innocent. The barest flick of his tongue, tracing your bottom lip, before diving back in to kiss you again. His lips slot perfectly against your own, and then they’re working yours apart, hands almost desperate as they grasp and pull you taut to his body. 

From this position, with his soft gasps of air against your lips, you can feel the steady pounding of his heart - was he just as nervous as you were? 

Despite his fervor, Claude is the first one to pull away, lips glistening in the moonlight - and when he licks them, you nearly kiss him again. 

“Now.” He murmurs. “Since you’re obviously seeking my counsel, now,” he tucks a lock of hair behind your ear, and the crooked tilt of his lips is so unlike his trademark mischievous smirk that you’re momentarily at a loss. “Tell me just who it is that’s in love with the future leader of the Leicester Alliance, mm?” 

“Don’t play like that.” You moan, hiding your face in his chest. Claude chuckles and sets a hand on the back of your head, gently petting your hair. 

“Please? I really want to hear it.” His voice is soft, gentle. There’s no pressure there for you to say anything, despite the fact that both of you are well aware of feelings that the other harbours. 

“I am.” You finally murmur, cheeks warm, even as you hide them in his shirt. 

You can feel him suck in a sharp breath, and your fingers curl tighter in his shirt. “I’m in love with you.” 

Claude is silent for a moment, and then, his typical chuckle, warm and soft, soothing to your ears, as a kiss is dropped to the top of your head. His heart rate has slowed, you hear, back to something regular, and he’s squeezing you that much tighter. 

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> this could end up being hella ooc but yeet  
> trying to get back in to the swing of writing again, y'all can send requests or check out my writing tumblr, windy_scribbles, for some prompts that i have linked


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